Paganism

In 1870, Humphrey Senhouse discovered Roman altars at Maryport near Hadrian's Wall, beginning a long debate over the nature of religion in the Roman military. Now excavations at the Camp Farm site may shed new light on the subject.

When archaeologists first unearthed Viking graves and ship burials, they dismissed the importance of Stone Age artfacts in much later burials. Now researchers are taking another look, one that seems to suggest the importance of "antiques" in Viking life.

On December 1, 2010, the bones of an 1,100-year-old pagan were interred at the Viking World museum in Reykjanesbaer, Iceland. The remains, first discovered in 1868, are part of an exhibit on ancient pagan burials.

Archaeologists have long wondered about the inclusion of "thunderstones"—fist-size stone tools resembling the Norse god Thor's hammerhead -- in Viking graves. New research may show that the stones were considered good-luck talismans. (photo)

Archaeologists in Scotland are excited about the discovery of Roman altar stones found in a cricket pavilion in Musselburgh, East Lothian, finding them "the most significant find of their kind in the past 100 years."

A recent study of pig and cattle bones found near Stonehenge has led researchers to believe that it was the site of huge winter solstice feasts. Experts believe animals were herded to the site and then slaughtered to feed celebrants.

In a Yuletide card, courtesy of Revival Clothing, we learn the origins of "Yule" from its pagan Germanic beginnings through its joining with the Christmas festival during the reign of Haakon the Good. The article includes a bibliography.

It isn't exactly news, but it's appropriate to the day! YouTube has a video posting of a rare promotional video for Jethro Tull's "Ring Out Solstice Bells", from 1976. It's decidedly medieval in theme, and quite amusing.

A rectangular stone and marble temple, built using the opus testaceum technique, has been discovered near Marina di Alberese in central Italy. The existence of the 4th century temple may suggest a larger settlement in the area.

Archaeologists in Denmark are puzzled over the discovery of a large building "littered with bits and pieces of exquisite golden jewellery, glass and bronze broaches, high quality artifacts, such as drinking glasses and ceramics, which all seem to have been deliberately smashed in some ritual."

It has been over 40 years since any significant excavation have been done at Stonehenge, but during the spring of 2009, that changed when Timothy Darvill, professor of archaeology at Bournemouth University, and Geoffrey Wainwright, president of the Society of Antiquaries of London, headed a new dig in the monument's inner circle.

The popular perception of the Druid as either a sage with a long beard or a blood-thirsty expert in human sacrifice is the topic of a new book by Bristol University professor Ronald Hutton: Blood and Mistletoe: a History of the Druids in Britain.

A discovery of multiple buried dog skeletons in a medieval town outside Budapest suggests that the custom of animal sacrifice was much more widespread in early Christian Hungary than previously thought.

British Channel Four's Time Team has discovered the remains of four Roman temples near Redbourn, England. The temples may have been built to worship water gods, according to experts, since there are springs and a river in the area.

The grave of a 1st century Druid, possibly the first such discovery in England, has been found in Stanway, near Colchester in eastern England. The body in the grave was one of a number of important people buried near the time of the Roman invasion.

A 7th century curse inscribed on a tablet has been found by archaeologists working near Limassol, Cyprus. The inscription curses the sexual prowess of men and may be linked to the island's pagan past. PG-13.

Archaeologists are studying the grave of a 7th century Anglo Saxon woman who might have been a Pagan priestess. By the placement of the grave and the objects within, including a sword and elaborate jewelry, they feel that the woman may have headed a 7th century cult. (photo)